Sprint is using carrier aggregation and Time Division for increased capacity at 2.6 GHz and MIMO for better coverage. The 850 and 1900 MHz bands fill in.

Sprint says its new multi-band LTE service will be available to 200 million people by the end of 2013 and about 250 million people by mid-2014. Sprint introduced its all-new FD-LTE network on the 1.9 GHz band in July 2012 and now offers service in 230 LTE markets.

Sprint is using 8 transmit, 8 receive technology (8T8R) for better coverage at 2.5 GHz. Today, the carrier uses a 2T2R backbone. In addition, Sprint is using MIMO on its consumer devices with up to 4 receivers and 2 transmitters to get more bits through the same amount of air.

The applications for 1Gbps mobile are pretty limited. Sprint’s major commitment to 8×8 MIMO, carrier aggregation, and consumer devices with 4X2 MIMO indicate a strong interest in delivering fixed broadband and (perhaps) “wireless cable” as well as the usual mobile applications.

The time may be right to provide a little competition to cable and IPTV via Verizon’s FIOs (5 million subs) and AT&T’s Uverse (4.5 million subs).

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One thought on “Sprint Spark: 50-60 Mbps”

I wonder if Morgan O’Brien ever envisioned this in his wildest dreams! It looks like Sprint could become the premier network in the US shortly? Maybe Public Safety will have a stronghold now with very broadband capability via the reliable partner Sprint has always been for them.